In the Eye of the Beholder
by remypie1746
Summary: After the characters return to Fablehaven from their journey in book 5 Kendra and Bracken start dating but soon after there is the return of the demon prince, who begs for forgiveness. Kendra deals with her feeling for Gavin and Bracken while she joins them and Seth for an all new adventure. I do not own any of the Fablehaven characters.
1. Chapter 1

Bracken held Kendra's hand as they walked down the path. Ever since Bracken returned he spent every moment with Kendra. Their favorite spot was the naiad pond, they would sit there for countless hours talking and watching the rays of sunlight dance across the surface of the lake. On the walk there, Bracken let go of Kendra's hand and turned to face her. "Kendra, I have a surprise for you." He said softly.

"You know I hate surprises Bracken, tell me now." Kendra said hastily as she moved her face so it was only a few inches away from his.

Bracken sighed and looked in the distance dramatically "Well I guess you will have too…race me there!" Bracken took of sprinting to the naiad pond.

"Bracken!" Kendra yelled after him. He responded by running faster into the trees. Kendra jogged after him. She was not far Bracken when she saw him disappear in to the hedge surrounding the pond. She came around the side and to the opening so she wouldn't get leaves in her hair and stood dumfounded. Everywhere there are fairies, thousands. Gliding in all directions in all colors. Bracken stood in the only gazebo that was completely woven with hundreds of beautiful flowers. Dozens of flowers she didn't even know existed were made in to gorgeous arch around Bracken.

Kendra walked forward dazedly as Bracken reached out his hand for her. Then, Bracken knelt down. "Kendra Sorenson." Bracken said "Every time I see you it is like it is the first time. Your smile is so beautiful it makes me forget my own name. I have never felt this way about any one in my entire life. I have enjoyed every single second I spend with you and I never want to leave your side. Kendra, will you do me the honor of becoming my girlfriend?" he asked.

Kendra was speechless. After a few seconds she regained her composure, "Oh Bracken" Kendra said "Of course!" Bracken stood up allowing her to throw her arms around him and hug him tightly. But it was all ruined when there was a scream from the woods.

"Who was that?" Bracken asked

"I don't know" Kendra replied, "But it sounded really familiar."

"It is probably Seth, Raxtus is visiting again and probably scared Seth." Bracken concluded, anxious to get back to where they left off.

Kendra didn't look okay, though. "It sounded like…no" she shook he head as she trailed off. The scream was heard again. "Bracken we should make sure no one is hurt, let's check it out." Kendra decided as she started walking briskly to where the scream came from. Bracken reluctantly followed her.

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Kendra arrived at the location where she thought the sound was from. It kinda was near the old manner, but more towards the location of where the centaurs live. There was a small clearing and some bushes to the side. There was a deep swamp. From the right came two nasty trolls running away from something. "Thats the last time I mess with a grungy boy" one of the trolls murmured to the other while running away.

"Come on." Kendra whispered to Bracken. They walked in the direction the trolls ran from. Kendra pushed aside some bushes and a tree branch to reveal a teenage boy with black hair and his back turned to them. He was wet and muddy, like he took one too many swims in the swamp. He also looked like he had fought off a few troublesome trolls.

The boy heard Kendra and Bracken russell in the bushes and probably thought they were the trolls. "I thought I told you to scram!" the boy yelled.

Kendra knew that voice too well. She got up and strode toward the boy. She came up behind him and grabbed his shoulder, and twirled him to face her. "Navarog!" She sneered. He gave her his best charming grin.


	2. Chapter 2

Kendra unleashed her dagger that was strapped around her calf and held it pointed the demon prince. "How are you alive, Navarog?" Kendra asked ferociously.

"Wow this is awkward… I uh… came out the other end. Of Raxtus, I mean. What did you expect, I am a demon prince, I am slightly harder to kill." Navarog awkwardly replied.

Kendra didn't fall for his innocence. "Don't make me drive this blade through your heart. What do you want with Fablehaven?" Kendra asked not taking her eyes off Navarog.

"Um Kendra" Bracken interrupted "Who is that?" he asked sheepishly.

The wind was blowing vigorously and swirling Kendra's hair around her didn't hesitate "Just an old acquaintance." She replied

"Woah, woah, woah," Navarog said "Kendra, are you really going with that. I thought we had something… something special." Kendra didn't flinch "You may not remember, but I imagined you had feelings for me."

"Hold up!" Bracken said as he got in between Kendra and Navarog, then turned to face Navarog. "That is my girlfriend you are talking to and-" Navarog threw a punch that landed across Bracken's face, and sent him to the ground.

"Braken!" Kendra cried before turning her attention back to Navarog "Listen Gavi-" Kendra cleared her throat "Listen Navarog, I don't know what you think you are doing here or how you expect to be given any sympathy, but-"

"I love you." Navarog said "And I prefer being called Gavin" Kendra was speechless. "I don't expect a warm welcome or anything, all I want is your forgiveness. I am not going to blame the Sphinx for what I did, because that is a sorry excuse. He tried to persuade me to do his dirty work, but I was the one who agreed. Yes, I take full blame for what I did, and not only that, regret every word I said. The one thing I regret most is hurting you, Kendra. You mean the world to me. Please, all I hope you can do is look into your heart and remember the good times we had, how you kept ahold of your flashlight through that entire mess of a battle. The rain stick souvenir. Whenever you were scared I was the one to hold your hand. Remember the letters that we wrote to each other, I memorized every one you sent me. If I had a choice to go back to that time when I reveled my true self, I would. I know you loved me. I loved you too, and I should have said it. The thing is, I still love you, Kendra. I will do everything in my power to see to it that you can possibly forgive me. What I did was so wrong, if I were you I don't know if I would forgive me. But maybe can you consider?"

Kendra stood with an open mouth, completely and utterly speechless. Bracken stood up dazed. He swayed around for a bit. "Look bud" Bracken said coming back from being knocked out "I don't know who you think you are but get this in your head, Kendra is my girlfriend and she is not inter-"

"I will tell you who I think I am" Gavin said "I am the guy that Kendra loved _before _you came along." Gavin looked proudly at Bracken then kinda nervous toward Kendra.

Bracken walked to Kendra who had tucked her dagger back on her calf. "Why did you never talk about him before?" Bracken asked, not really wanting a response.

"Bracken listen," Kendra begged "It was a long time ago…"

"One year" Gavin said through obviously fake coughs.

"Right." Kendra agreed "But he was a night of dawn," Kendra started explaining to Bracken, "he was helping us on a quest at the Lost Mesa to retrieve some of the artifacts, and then at the Dragon Sanctuary he reveled himself as Navarog, the demon prince, and ate and killed a few people." Kendra finished fairly calmly, but quietly. Gavin hung his head.

"But the question is," Gavin said through his pouted hip "Does she forgive me for that?"


	3. Chapter 3

Kendra looked back and fourth between Gavin and Bracken. "I-I-I" Kendra started saying.

Gavin walked closer to her "Aw" he said "now you are starting to stutter like me." Kendra let out a halfhearted laugh.

Kendra regained her composure. "Look Gavin, you lied to me, but I am grateful that you apologized. I can accept your apology. As a matter of fact, I may forgive you because I remember saying to myself when I got one of your letters that there was nothing you could do that would make me hate you." Gavin smiled "But" Kendra said "You killed people, Gavin. So if I do forgive you, things will never be the same as they were before. You…are…a…demon. That can not be forgivin. will always be reminded of the lies you told whenever you speak, and I don't hear a stutter." It was Brackens turn to smile.

"I c-c-could start s-stuttering again" Gavin tried with a smirk "If it w-would make you f-f-feel better."

Kendra didn't laugh "You can stay at the house, we have some extra rooms" she said, as she turned to Bracken to go home. He held both of her hands in his, and leaned down to rub their noses together. Letting go of one of her hands, they walked back to the house.

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Gavin was sitting on the ground, throwing rocks violently in the swamp. Kendra and Bracken left about an hour ago, he thought about going to the house with them. Except, he doesn't want to be around Kendra if all she is doing is rubbing noses with her new boyfriend. Disappointed, he continued to sit alone. _Why doesn't she love me again? _Half his brain wondered _Shut up, stupid. She hates you. You are a freaking demon and you freaking kill people. _The other half of his brain argued. _I said I was sorry. _The first side noted. _You can't just apologize for murdering people. Navarog, it is in your nature to kill, no one expects you to be good now. You are pure flipping evil, and you know it. _The bad side kept arguing. _You are hard to kill. A dragon ate you, but you are a dragon and a demon, the stomach acid can't kill you. _The good side spoke up._ I want to change, I really do. It's hard to change my natural disposition, but I want to… for Kendra. _The bad side continued to challenge. _You can't change your nature, you were born evil! _Gavin got up and wandered around the forest. There was a rusty sword on the side of the path, probably left or lost from a previous battle at Fablehaven. Gavin picked it up and turned it over in his hand. The sword was still in mid condition. _Kendra will never love you, murderer, freak, demon, _His brain reminded him. "Ugh!" Gavin screamed "I don't even deserve her. I don't deserve life" With a single movement Gavin took the sword and trust it deep into his heart- an attempt at suicide. Gavin crumpled to the ground, the last thing he remembered was crawling to the house, but he couldn't die. He is a demon after all, isn't he?


	4. Chapter 4

Gavin awoke to the sound of murmurs. He found himself on a bed he assumed was the guest room of Fablehaven, and out the window he saw the view form the main house. Gavin let out a moan. Vanessa rushed into the room. She was caring a bowl and tilted Gavin's head back, pouring the liquid down his throat. It was warm, thin, and sweet yet sour. "W-where am I?" Gavin softly asked just to be sure.

"You are at Fablehaven's main house" Vanessa replied "We found you crawling around the house with a sword in your heart." Gavin swallowed and looked at his chest. The sword had been removed as well as his shirt, and now there was a firm white bandage around his torso with blood seeping trough. "Out of curiosity," Vanessa said "How did that sword get in your chest?"

Gavin thought about an excuse. _What cheating demon couldn't think of a lie?! _He gave up "I…uh…put it there" he said. Vanessa turned white, and she ran out of the room. From behind the now closed door, Gavin could hear her calling for Kendra.

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Kendra was sitting on the couch reading a magazine when Vanessa came running down the stairs, yelling her name. Kendra put the magazine down and jumped up right away. "How is he?" She vigorously asked "Did he tell you who tried to hurt him?"

Vanessa was still white. "I do know how the sword got in his chest" Vanessa said sheepishly. "But I'm not sure that you want to know."

"Of corse I want to know!" Kendra quickly said "But that doesn't mean I care about him" she briskly corrected herself.

Vanessa leaned closer to Kendra and whispered in her ear, "Well, you see, Gavin was trying to kill himself." Kendra gasped and turned pale. She stared at Vanessa who just nodded her head. Kendra rushed up to the room Gavin was in and slowly knocked on the door.

"Come in" he croaked. When Gavin saw Kendra open the door and close it right behind her, his eyes lit up dramatically the way they used to, but soon died down to a dull shade, darker than they were before.

Kendra walked to his bed side and felt the bandage, he cringed. "So…I technically did this to you. I am the reason this happened."

Gavin shrugged. "Depends on how you look at it" He said. Kendra continued to stare longingly at the wound. Gavin couldn't stand it any longer. Using all his strength he sat up, best he could, and grabbed Kendra in his arms. He brought her down, forcing her to lay across his injured chest, but it didn't hurt, now that she was here. She tried to wiggle free from his grasp. Gavin, being a dragon, was way stranger and could easily keep hold of her squirming body. "I have waited so long to have you in my arms again, I know that sounds creepy, but I think that you missed me, at least the tiniest bit." He said. Kendra soothed little, her efforts to escape were not as demanding. For a moment she considered wrapping her arms around him too, but instead, jerked away, startling him and finally freeing herself from grasp. She started to leave the room. "Wait, Kendra!" Gavin called "I need a favor, something I cannot do myself, though I have tried." Kendra looked back curiously. Gavin continued with her full attention "I am counting on you to do this for me, and whether you succeed or not will prove your true feelings for me. Kendra, will you kill me."


End file.
